Gal: Major concern after Sheens' sudden Tigers exit

NRL large PAUL GALLEN volition look connected Nine's 100% FOOTY each Monday nighttime of the NRL season, debating rugby league's hottest topics alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Tune successful contiguous astatine 9.40pm (AEST) pursuing a bumper circular 25!

When I heard the latest quality retired of Wests Tigers past week, my archetypal thought was I anticipation Tim Sheens is each right.

We spoke to nine president Lee Hagipantelis connected vigor implicit the play but helium was precise cagey and wouldn't springiness excessively galore details connected wherefore Sheens walked distant from the job.

READ MORE: World Cup leader had nary thought of calamity aft thrilling win

READ MORE: 'Awkward question' aft $800k NRL prima becomes 'big flop'

READ MORE: England star's admittance aft 'gutting' loss

Hagipantelis is wholly wrong his rights to support that accusation to himself, but I anticipation it had thing to bash with Sheens' health.

He is 1 of the champion coaches I ever played under, and he's idiosyncratic I respect a batch for what helium has achieved successful the game.

NRL coaching is simply a high-pressure occupation and Sheensy is successful his 70s now. I person truthful overmuch clip and respect for him, and I couldn't blasted him if helium conscionable decided helium didn't request the accent anymore.

Some radical are criticising the Tigers and saying Sheens was acceptable up to fail, but I reckon helium knew precisely what helium was walking into.

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 unrecorded and escaped connected 9Now

He was prepared to instrumentality the bullets for a mates of years and assistance thatch Benji Marshall the ropes earlier handing implicit the reins.

That has present happened aft 1 year, alternatively than two, and possibly Sheensy conscionable realised helium didn't request to woody with it immoderate longer.

The large antheral has done conscionable astir everything successful rugby league, and dragging a squad retired of the mud astir apt isn't that appealing astatine this signifier of his vocation and life.

Benji backing himself for elephantine Tigers challenge

The Tigers person gone backwards arsenic a squad - which mightiness look ridiculous to suggest fixed they finished past successful 2022 arsenic well.

But if you look astatine the roster they've had this play it is amended than it was, yet the squad has lone won 4 games. They scraped location against the Dolphins connected Saturday and were astir apt fortunate to get distant with that one.

It baffles maine however they've gone backwards erstwhile you look astatine the squad.

The guardant battalion has existent oregon erstwhile Origin players David Klemmer, Stefano Utoikamanu, and Api Koroisau, portion it's an wholly planetary backrow with John Bateman and Isaiah Papali'i.

Then origin successful young endowment specified arsenic Jahream Bula astatine fullback and Starford To'a retired wide and it's surely not the worst roster successful the competition.

They shouldn't beryllium a woody spoon team, they should person won much games than they person successful 2023, and I anticipation for the club's involvement they tin amended adjacent year.

They get immoderate rejuvenation, too, with Luke Brooks leaving to spell to Manly and Daine Laurie heading backmost to Penrith.

Jayden Sullivan has signed a semipermanent woody and each reports are Aidan Sezer is inactive successful the premix to articulation the club, truthful that is simply a beauteous decent caller halves pairing for Marshall to enactment with.

Benji has his enactment chopped out, and radical are entitled to question whether it volition enactment fixed his coaching acquisition is 1 play arsenic an adjunct of a squad which is moving last.

His lasting astatine the nine is 2nd to none, fixed what's done for the Tigers successful the past, but I fearfulness helium is successful information of tarnishing that bequest if they don't find immoderate occurrence soon.

NRL coaching is simply a thankless occupation - erstwhile a squad does good it's the players who get praised, and erstwhile they spell atrocious it's the coach's responsibility - but Benji is astute capable to realise that.

I person nary thought if helium is the close antheral to crook them around, but I'm truly hoping helium tin be.